Enhancing Dignity Amongst Persons with Dementia Through Occupational Engagement

Dementia is a cognitive impairment that impacts an individual's memory, judgement, safety awareness, and emotions which can interfere with their activities of daily living. As the condition progresses, the person living with dementia (PLWD) may require a care partner to help them complete their daily tasks. Having a care partner and being a care partner can be challenging for both, the PLWD and their care partner, as there begins to be a shift in their independence. The PLWD must rely on their care partner to help them throughout their day, leading to a decrease in independence and occupational engagement. When taking on the new role, care partners are not provided with enough education on how to include their loved one in decision making and how to facilitate participation. Along with the decrease in independence and lack of care partner education, the dyadic relationship and social participation can also be impacted.In order to enhance dignity amongst PLWD, a family engagement program was developed to improve care partner education on how to include the PLWD in decision making, increase occupational engagement, rebuild the dyadic relationship, and increase social participation. The family engagements encompass families participating in new activities together in a semi-structured social environment.